A man’s post about being assigned fresh work on his last working day at a startup sparked a discussion online after he wondered whether his boss expected him to keep working even after he had officially resigned.
The employee shared his experience on Reddit’s r/TwoXIndia in a post titled, “Boss gave work on my last working day and now idk if he is expecting me to work beyond my last date.”
He explained that he was working remotely at a small startup and was serving his final day when his boss assigned him several small tasks during the morning stand-up meeting.
He said he accepted the work but couldn’t shake the feeling that his manager had forgotten it was his last day, especially since new tasks had continued to come his way over the previous few days.
Later that afternoon, his boss handed him another important assignment, which he managed to complete within a few hours. However, several of the smaller tasks remained unfinished, leaving him worried that his manager expected him to continue working beyond his official last date simply because he worked remotely.
The man then explained that the startup had just four employees, including the founder. He was the only full-time employee in a junior role, while the remaining team members worked part-time. He also noted that the company had no HR department and, to his knowledge, had not hired anyone to replace him.
In an update, he revealed that the company was preparing for a product launch the following day. According to him, his boss admitted there had not been enough time to hire a replacement and asked if he could continue helping out for another 10 days, promising to assign only minor tasks if he was available.
The employee said he felt somewhat pressured into agreeing. He had already told his boss that he would be travelling the next day and would be away for much of the month.
He also admitted that he had lied about moving abroad when resigning because he feared saying he was leaving due to low pay would sour relations with the founder.
That excuse, however, left him in an awkward position after agreeing to help beyond his notice period.
Take a look at the post here:
The post prompted several reactions from Reddit users. While some remarked that managers often try to squeeze as much work as possible out of employees before they leave, others advised him to simply remind his boss that it was his final working day.
Several users pointed out that notice periods are generally meant for wrapping up responsibilities and handing over work, not taking on fresh assignments.
Others suggested documenting the pending tasks and formally handing them over, adding that the company’s failure to hire a replacement should not become the departing employee’s responsibility.
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